GABA teas are one bandwagon that I had yet to jump onto until I receive my November shipment from Global Tea Hut. The USPS lost my package in their usual ineptitude but the kind folks at Global Tea Hut were quick to address the issue and send out a new package. For those of you who are not familiar with GABA, it stands for Gamma Amino Butyric Acid. It is a neurotransmitter that prevents over-excitement of the nervous system. All teas contain this substance but GABA teas are withered in vacuum. This causes an increase in the levels of GABA in the finished tea.

Teas like this can always be tricky. Is what I experience brought on by the power of suggestion or is it an actual effect of the tea? As per their usual recommendation, I bowl brewed this tea in one of my favorite hagi chawans. The taste was surprisingly mellow. There fruity notes along with a slight biscuity quality. I was left wondering if the lack of oxygen affected the taste at all. Despite it being so subtle, I was able to brew the same leaves several times. While I wouldn’t say that it made me sleepy, I did feel very relaxed while enjoying this tea. It reminded me of being tea drunk off of a very good puerh. I wouldn’t say that it knocked my socks off but I am definitely intrigued enough to try more GABA teas in the future.

The gift for November was a microfiber cloth for cleaning teaware. I love these things! They are super absorbent and come in handy for everything from small spills to polishing yixing. The magazine offered a wealth of knowledge as always. I especially enjoyed learning about Mr. Yu, the organic farmer who produced Peaceful Slumber.